Meeting Max's Mom
by Sliverloc303
Summary: "I need you to tell me how you met Mom." "I'd rather shoot myself in the foot." Max Blake just wants to fill out a school report but his father Bellamy just can't tell a straight forward story.
1. Chapter 1

**Meeting Max's Mom**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this.

"Dad?"

Bellamy looked up from the freshly prepared lasagne and gave his son a questioning look. Max Blake was seated at the kitchen island, his homework spread out in front of him. His flop of unruly black curls was falling across his dark eyes but the tapping of the pencil on the blank notepad made it clear that he was more alert than he looked.

"What's up kid?" Bellamy asked as he opened the door of the preheated oven. Max seemed to hesitate so Bellamy quickly put in the dinner to cook. Then he gave his full attention to his son. Leaning his arms on the kitchen counter across from his kid, Bellamy grinned.

"What? Do you need help with history or something?"

Max shook his head. "No...actually English. You see, the teacher gave us this report to fill in and... I need you to tell me how you met Mom."

"I'd rather shoot myself in the foot."

Max rolled his eyes and dropped the pencil on the notepad. "I'm serious Dad! The whole class needs to write this family report. And this is my easiest assignment compared to the maths and my literature essay."

Bellamy quickly glanced at the sheets and books on the counter. They were all neat and completed, except for the English. He couldn't keep up with Max sometimes. According to the specialists, Max was crazily advanced for his age. He was only nine but could do high school level work. And yet he still got excited when he heard the ice cream truck. The point was that Max got a mix of school work in order to help his brain but not overwhelm him. So while his maths may have been complex, he still had to do reports like all the other nine year olds.

"Just tell me the story ok? That's all-the teacher is the only one whose going to see it," Max reasoned.

Bellamy winched anyway and gritted his teeth. He didn't want to brag but he was a good dad alright? Max was doing pretty great. He had a roof over his head in a nice, spacious house. They could afford two cars and the kid wasn't dressed in rags. He even stopped himself from punching Max's soccer coach when he yelled at the kid last season.

But who Bellamy was before his son...before he dated Max's Mom? Now that was a totally different situation. Max looked insistent, that same determined look Bellamy saw on his own face when he looked in the mirror.

"We only have an hour until dinner," Bellamy said but Max just looked excited.

That's plenty time!"

"It's a long story really."

"I have the patience."

"There were other girls before your Mom and I'll have to include them."

"Duh!"

"I'll even have to re-tell some things that your Aunt Octavia told me in order for the story to make sense."

"Great! It'll give my story realism."

Bellamy sighed at his son's happy face. "You are too smart sometimes, you know that right?"

Max just gave him the Blake family smirk and nodded. Bellamy dragged the other stool over and sat down on it heavily. He stared at Max who just looked ready to jot down whatever he said. "One thing that you'll learn as you get older Max is that people change and it takes other people to help inspire that change. You make your own choices but you can't do it all by yourself. There were at least three girls that helped me become the person I am today and your Mom was one of them."

Max raised an eyebrow and replied, "Three girls?"

"Don't judge me-I was young."

"Don't be melodramatic Dad-you still are young."

"You are now getting ice cream after dinner. But back to the point; I wouldn't have ended up with your Mom, if I hadn't dated these three girls."

Max frowned, the pencil stilling in his hand. "But you said Mom was one of the three. So what, you doubled back or something?"

"Can you not say it like that? It makes me sound tactless."

"You are tactless Dad; that's why we have a swear jar."

The offensive-and half full-jar practically laughed at him from the top of the fridge. "Anyway, I just wanted to warn you that this won't be a simple story."

That didn't seem to bother Max one bit yet his self-assurance could have come from just winning the argument. Even Bellamy could find some joy in telling his son how he met the love of his life. His wife's face flashed before him and a grin threatened to show. But he held it in the best he could. Bellamy sighed one last time and began.

"Alright, you extortionist, here we go. Chapter 1-."

"Chapter 1? This thing has chapters?" Max whined.

"Yes because my love life is a fascinating study, with your Mom as the main subject. Now shut up and write this down. It all started when I first met Raven..."

**So this will be a short story with drabble like chapters. Hope you enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Meeting Max's Mom**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this.

**Just to let everyone know, its three girls with a chapter for each and then one to finish off the story.**

"_Raven was the close friend I never really wanted."_

* * *

Bellamy slammed the empty shot glass down on the counter to the cheers of the party. He shook his head at the taste but grinned. There was nothing better than a good house party on a Saturday night. Well, he thought as he caught sight of an attractive blonde, he could think of one thing.

The music pounded around the apartment and people were dancing as the night sky was practically slipping into the morning. Bellamy was pretty buzzed but he could hold his alcohol. So he had no trouble making his way around the small apartment of his friends Jasper and Monty. Other people weren't as co-ordinated. Some bumped into him and others spilled their drinks at his feet.

He stepped around them and looked at the hideous clock on the wall of the living room. He had a couple more hours until he had to pick up his sister-but he better cut out the drinking just in case. Letting out a sigh and knowing that he was going to be bored and getting sober for the next few hours, Bellamy decided to look for Jasper. He was always hilarious when he was drunk, even more so when Monty was with him. They had been two years behind him in school and for some reason, he just couldn't watch them get beat up by bullies anymore. They had latched onto Bellamy and despite how annoying he sometimes found them they really were his good friends. He easily spotted them trying to do handstands on the coffee table and Bellamy made a note of where the first aid kit was.

His eyes darted around the room anyway and got stuck on a long legged brunette who was leaning against the wall. She was nursing a beer and generally looked miserable. "You look as happy as I am sober!" he exclaimed over the music and the girl met his gaze with a raised eyebrow.

"Is one going to affect the other?" she asked and Bellamy leaned against the wall beside her. She didn't move and her side was pressed against his.

"Well, I'm going to have to get sober so I can improve your mood while I'm at it, if you like?"

It wasn't his best line but he was getting bored again. The girl smirked and took a gulp of her beer before setting down on the side table. "I should warn you," she added, "I just broke up with my cheating boyfriend and this will totally be rebound."

"Works for me," Bellamy said before she pulled him down to kiss her.

* * *

He and Raven worked well for a while; she needed to heal a broken heart and he needed something to take his mind off the fact that his life had no direction. His grades hadn't been wonderful, not because he was dumb but because he couldn't be bothered to go to school sometimes. Plus he had to look after Octavia back then and school hours didn't fit with that. So he took a job fixing cars in the same garage as Raven. She had set him up with the job because she only worked there part time.

Their...friendship was working out just fine. They weren't in a relationship and they certainly weren't committed but both parties were just fine with the arrangement. They mostly hung out at Bellamy's place, a small apartment in the same building as Jasper and Monty's.

Bellamy had lived in places just like it ever since he was a kid. They all started to look the same after a while. Raven didn't seem to mind which was just another attractive characteristic she had. Everything was going well; until the fighting started.

"You are such an idiot Blake!" Raven screamed as she threw the remote in the direction of his head. Bellamy ducked but gritted his teeth at the sound of the remote hitting his wall.

"Do not chuck my stuff at me in my damn apartment!" he yelled back.

They both stood in the living room, cushions and other items tossed around in their fight. Both of them were fuming and all Bellamy wanted was to get this crazy person out of his place. And it wasn't the first time he had thought this.

For the past few weeks, they just kept getting on each other's nerves, their tempers getting the better of them. With a growl, Raven grabbed her bag and stormed from the apartment. The door closed with a bang that shook the walls and Bellamy threw himself onto the couch. The girl was driving him crazy and in the worst kind of way. Normally he really didn't care about the kind of girl he hooked up with but he was starting to get tired of meeting these girls whose personalities really didn't mesh well with his.

Was it so difficult to find a girl who made it clear she liked him? He was irritated about it all. Bellamy let his eyes close and he sighed, hoping for at least an hour of peace.

Then there was a crash that he was pretty sure was his DVD collection falling to the ground.

* * *

Raven had cooled down by the time she sat herself on the diner's red stool. She swivelled around to face the metal counter and placed her bag on it.

Octavia spotted her as soon as her car pulled into the parking space so she had a coffee at the ready. The other customers were served and eating so Octavia took the time to lean on the counter and talk to her friend. They had met one late night when Octavia had stayed over at Bellamy's and Raven had stopped by on a whim.

Bellamy hadn't known what to do when he saw them just giggling together in the kitchen.

"Let me guess-you and my brother had another fight? What did you break this time?"

"Sadly, not his face," Raven bit out. She knew that Octavia was used to Bellamy so the younger girl took no offence.

"Well, with an argument like that maybe you should avoid him for a few days." Raven just sipped her coffee and frowned.

"I'm serious Raven, I love my brother but you can do so much better right now."

"Who can do much better?"

The two girls looked up to see Clarke coming out of the kitchen, wearing the same waitress uniform as Octavia. Unlike Octavia, Clarke was working at the diner for college. She had clicked early on with them both and Clarke had been the one to point out the weird way that Finn kept hiding his phone and deleting text messages.

"I said that Raven can do much better than my brother. She still hurting and he really needs to sort his life out," Octavia repeated.

Clarke joined them at the counter, her blonde hair tied up in a bun. "I still don't get why all these girls flock to him," she said and Raven snorted.

"In all fairness to the guy, you've never seen him."

Clarke hadn't ever met Bellamy that was true, even though his sister was one of her closest friends. But that didn't mean that she couldn't have an opinion on him. "I don't need to meet him in order to know that you should dump him. He seems like such a jerk," Clarke said.

Raven just clicked her nails off the coffee cup. "We'd have to be dating to actually break up..."

"Then just stop sleeping with him," Clarke added. The three girls fell into a silence before Clarke went on cautiously. "You know that Finn doesn't matter anymore right? You can't let his stupid mistake affect you forever."

The mention of her ex boyfriend only made Raven get more upset and she let her head fall into her hands. "Boys are stupid," she mumbled and Octavia patted her head in sympathy. "Not every boy, just the ones you pick."

Raven put her head up and pulled herself together. "You guys are right-I need to stop letting Finn affect me. And I need to stop everything with Bellamy."

It was clear to her friends that this was a decision she had been putting off. They were just glad that she finally made it. Raven paid for her coffee and hopped off the stool.

"Whoa, wait! You're not going to do it now are you?" Octavia asked which only made both Raven and Clarke confused. "I know my brother," she said, "And you both need time to cool off before you see each other again. Come over to my place after work and we can have a girls' night. You too Clarke."

"You really are the best O," Raven said. Octavia just flicked her long brown hair and grinned.

* * *

Bellamy was sitting on the couch again, watching TV when Raven came back. Octavia had sent him an annoyed text about treating girls badly and he had guessed where Raven had gone. Girl talk must have been good because she seemed much calmer but looked as exhausted as he did.

Raven didn't even sit down, she just leaned against the wall that divided his kitchen and living room. "We need to stop...whatever this is," she said, "I can't fight with someone if I don't care whether we make up or not."

Bellamy let out a sigh of relief and sat forward with his elbows on his knees. "Sounds like a good idea," he replied, "Just don't tell me your running back to that loser ex. My pride couldn't take that."

Raven snorted and shook her head. "Yah, that's not happening. I may not like you but at least you didn't mess with my head. You know that the entire time he was cheating on me, he was talking to me about having kids and buying a house in the future."

Bellamy winched and leaned back again. "I am sorry for using you," Raven added.

Bellamy shook his head and actually smiled. "Don't worry about it. You actually taught me a valuable lesson-always hook up with girls who actually like me."

That got him a laugh and Raven hitched her bag back up on her shoulder. "I'll see you around Blake-try not to get into too much trouble."

She left his place and Bellamy sat down again. He _had_ learned something from her; his personality just did not work well with certain others. It was much safer to stick with girls who showed that they liked him from the start-no hassle and no worries.

* * *

"_First of all: you are so lucky that I had to sit through the sex talk to take biology. Secondly: you and Aunt Raven-so gross Dad!" _

"_Hey it was never awkward for us-we got over it. I was a groomsman at her and Uncle Monty's wedding too. The point I was trying to make was that she had a key role in me changing my outlook on dating. Plus, without your Aunt Raven, I would never have met Roma..."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Meeting Max's Mom**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this.

"_Roma was the reason I got into this whole commitment thing."  
_

* * *

Things weren't that awkward for Bellamy and Raven at work; they had different hours and after a couple of weeks, they actually became good friends. They couldn't talk to each other for too long before fighting erupted but friends all the same.

He owed her for getting him the job and because of the job, he met Roma. She was the owner's niece who came in one day to get her car fixed. They chatted as he worked on the engine and she drove out of there with a date. If you could call it a date.

Raven showed him he really needed to go for girls who liked him straight away-who flirted from the first look. There had been many girls since then who had batted their eyelashes and smiled coyly at him. Roma was one of them. They hooked up, she didn't stay for breakfast and he didn't ask. It was working out well for them.

But, during a crisp November, Bellamy felt an unease start to settle in. He started to feel bad every time Roma left his apartment without a goodbye. He kept thinking that maybe he should be offering her coffee in the morning or calling her that afternoon. It annoyed him, irritated him beyond belief.

When he looked back on it, Bellamy could say what caused the shift in attitude. That's what hindsight gave you. At that time, not only was he actually maturing (Octavia was shocked) but everyone around him was getting into normal relationships.

His sister was with a guy, Lincoln, that Bellamy did not want to meet yet treated her right. Monty and Raven were always together and even Jasper was dating some girl from his work. Not only that but they were actually doing what they wanted to do or at least, were on their way to it. All the while, he was stuck in his job that he didn't even like.

Bellamy felt like he was on the edge of something, a turning point but it was scaring the crap out of him. Roma was caught in the middle. Although he felt that they should be in a more serious relationship but he wasn't sure if she was the girl he wanted to have it with.

It was confusing and he knew that she could pick up on his unease. What he would be thankful for later, was that all broken hearted people in his town apparently went to the same diner.

* * *

Clarke spotted her tears from all the way across the room. The girl's hair fell around her face but it was clear how upset she was.

Feeling a pull at her heartstrings, Clarke picked up a slab of chocolate cake to go with the girl's order of coffee. It was pretty late at night, with Clarke being the one who had to close up. She walked over with the cake and the coffee and set them down in front of the girl. A "thank you" got stuck in her customer's throat when she saw the cake.

"It's on the house," Clarke said, "You look like you could use some comfort."

The girl gave her a shaky smile and Clarke turned to clean the tables around her. She could hear the scraping of a fork across a plate and the sipping of coffee.

"I am such an idiot."

Clarke winched at the girl's self-deprecating tone and found herself turning around. "Let me guess? A guy?"

The girl almost laughed, "Isn't it always? I'm Roma by the way."

"Clarke," she answered, pointing to her name tag. "Don't feel bad. We get plenty of people in here complaining about their boyfriends; our cake must be a really good comfort food."

Roma nodded, "Yah, I think that's it. And he's not really my boyfriend; we hook up more than actually talk to each other..."

"But?" Clarke prompted. She was used to this, hearing the woes of the broken hearted. She heard it at the diner, at the hospital she worked at and at school as well. People just always seemed to be willing to tell her their problems. Octavia always said that it was her kind face.

Roma huffed and cradled her coffee cup in her hands. "Sometimes, I swear he's about to ask me to be his actual girlfriend but then he doesn't. And then I think, well do I want to be his girlfriend? Or am I just ready for a real relationship and he's the closet I can get right now?"

Roma looked at her carefully so Clarke tried to be tactful. "Dump him."

Roma blinked quickly and Clarke just kept going. "I'm serious-at no point did you say that you even like the guy. I think for you, he's convenient and honestly, I'm guessing it's the same for him. It's not healthy for either of you."

Roma sat back against the soft seating of the chair and sighed. "You're right-I think I just needed someone to actually say it out loud."

Clarke figured that was exactly what she had needed; someone to tell her the truth and prove she wasn't overreacting. Clarke picked up the plate and empty cup but Roma kept talking. "The worst part about this is that he's actually a good guy and it probably as lost as I am. He doesn't even like his job..."

Clarke paused at the table, the damp cloth gathered in the same hand as the plate. "If it helps, my friend Miller was in earlier saying that the police academy is recruiting. Who knows, he might be good at that."

With a final smile, Clarke turned around and went back to the counter. She watched the girl pay and leave the diner, looking lighter than she had when she had sat down.

"I think I know her."

Clarke spun around to see Octavia leaning against a stool. "Have you been here the whole time?!"

Octavia shrugged. "I was on my break."

* * *

Roma was different from the moment she walked in the door. For starters, he hadn't asked her to come. She had just shown up with a hesitant smile but determined eyes that meant business. She sat herself firmly on the armchair and Bellamy had no choice but to follow her example.

"I want to break up!" she finally blurted out. He stared at her for a moment but then she just kept going. "Even though technically, we're not a couple, I still want to break up. And it's not that I don't want a serious relationship, because I do, I just think that we're not that suited for one another. Not that you're not a nice guy because you actually are, even though you act like a jerk sometimes..."

She trailed off and Bellamy was left still blinking at her. "Ok," he replied.

Roma looked pleasantly surprised but he saw that her feelings were still a bit hurt. It wasn't nice for the guy you've been hooking up with to be so calm about breaking up. "You may be a great girl but I think you're right about this whole..."

He tried to search for a word and Roma helped him along. "Commitment thing?"

"Yes, that thing. What you said."

Roma giggled but stood up. She looked around the apartment one more time before frowning. "Now that we're not long "together" I can tell you what a dump your place is."

Bellamy had to agree. The paint was peeling in the corners, some of the appliances didn't work and Bellamy was certain the heaters weren't supposed to make a creaking sound. "Well, my job and the amount of hours I work don't exactly pay for a better place."

Roma had her hand on the door handle but she paused. "I heard that the police academy is recruiting. You might actually be a good cop Bellamy."

His teenage self was doubled over laughing but older, poorer Bellamy thought that might not be a bad idea. It was a steady job at least. "Thanks...I'll think about it," he said and Roma gave him another smile before leaving.

Bellamy was left sitting on the couch with his own thoughts. He figured that one of them would have to break it off; they couldn't keep it up. Bellamy was starting to realise that these meaningless relationship gave him nothing. He was stuck; always dating the same girls and always being sick of his job and his apartment. Meanwhile, even his sister was running that diner in town and Jasper and Monty were climbing the ladder in their careers. Spotting his laptop sitting on the coffee table, Bellamy went over Roma's idea again.

He grabbed the laptop and opened it. Blakes were nothing if not determined.

* * *

"_Dad, don't take this the wrong way but you were a slut." _

"_I know-go put a dollar in the swear jar. The point is that Roma was the girl who finally taught me that committed relationships shouldn't be feared. Wanting to share your life with someone is a good thing. And because of her, I met Harper..."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Meeting Max's Mom**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this.

"_Harper...Harper was the best one of all three."  
_

* * *

Thanks to Roma's career suggestion, Bellamy met Harper when he was breaking up a fight at a bar with his partner. He had been a cop for only a few months, long enough to get a slightly better apartment and the knowledge that he loved his job. Finally, he felt like he was actually doing something-it gave him a sense of fulfilment. Even his new roommate was pretty cool; Octavia had been the one to tell Bellamy that Miller was searching for a new place.

It had been late, dark with terrible lighting from the street lamps but that night he could tell that Harper was beautiful. She pretty much had the same opinion about him and he got her number before he left. Hey, he was also great at multi-tasking.

Texting lead to calls which followed actual dates; they turned into staying over until he blinked and they had been dating for a year. She wasn't the first girl who he had actually started dating since the Roma wakeup call but she was the one who lasted the longest. He liked her, he really did. Not only that, but his friends liked her. Miller was used to her around the apartment, Jasper and Monty sent her clips of animals doing funny things and Octavia thought she was awesome.

"Seriously, I think she's awesome."

Bellamy took another bite of his burger as his sister refilled the sugar containers. The diner had just finished the lunch time rush and he knew this was a good time to eat and talk to Octavia. "You don't need to keep telling me, I know you like her," he said, "Harper's the best I've ever been with, trust me."

It was the truth; she was kind, cheerful and giving. Maybe she was slightly less mature than him but they could work with that. Octavia stared at him with a barely contained smile and he decided to ignore her. He knew that she saw a change in him for the better but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of admitting it. He also knew that deep down; she just wanted to see him happy. Now that they were older, there was more of a level playing field between them-Octavia gave her opinion a little too freely about his choices. But now, she had nothing to complain about.

"I mean, even Clarke likes her!" Octavia exclaimed as she closed another sugar container.

Bellamy frowned and asked, "Who the hell is Clarke?"

Octavia looked shocked and she practically banged the bag of sugar down on the table. "Please tell me after three years, you know who Clarke Griffin is? My best friend, my colleague, a super smart medical student? Ring any bells?"

"You have friends?" Bellamy teased which only caused Octavia to swat at him.

"That's crazy-she may not have met you either but at least she knows your name."

"Whatever O, if she works here than that makes you her boss anyway."

Octavia grinned suddenly, as she always did when reminded that she now owned the Ark Diner. "Clarke and I are such good friends that me being her boss doesn't even matter. You really should meet her-she's great."

"I'll take your word for it," Bellamy answered before paying for his meal.

"Dinner tonight? Jasper's making some beef dish," Octavia asked.

Bellamy nodded and decided to say nothing about how much his sister had been hanging out with Jasper since her break up. He strolled out of the diner, just as Clarke in from the kitchen.

"Hey are those sugar pots ready yet?" she asked Octavia who glanced at the closed front door with a huff.

"Yes; because I am the only person here with good timing," she replied, and left Clarke slightly confused.

* * *

"That's it?" Miller asked, letting his arm hang out the open car window.

They were doing their rounds in a more suburban area, with playgrounds and parks surrounding the houses and schools. It was nearly time for the school day to end so parents were backing out of their driveway to pick up their kids. Cars passed them and some people even waved.

"That's the house, pretty nice huh?" Bellamy said, giving the building another once over. It was a two story house with a garage and a big front yard. The back was spacious and it was in a good neighbourhood.

"It's a great place," Miller answered, "But why are you thinking of buying it? Is it even on the market?"

"I met the couple a few days ago; their youngest lives in our building."

"He does?"

"She does. And all five of their kids have moved out and they want a smaller place to live. They won't be selling for a while but they thought a lovely young man such as myself would want to know about a nice house being available. You know, if my girlfriend and I decided to buy a place together."

Miller raised his eyebrows and let out a low whistle. "You and Harper are thinking of...I mean... I know that she practically lives with us now but can you guys afford it? And you do know that a place like that usually means kids are on the way."

Bellamy looked at the house again and actually smiled. "What's wrong with wanting to move forward? If you have known me three years ago then this would be more of a shock to you. Plus, I'm planning to be a detective someday soon and Harper is great with kids."

"Being good with kids is different to being a mom, Bellamy," Miller said, "If this is what you two want then great but it's a huge decision."

Bellamy started the car again and drove slowly away from the house. "Yah, one that I'm taking my time with. All I know is that I would like to own a house like that some day. It could be with Harper."

Miller just hummed and looked straight ahead. Bellamy bit his tongue and changed the subject. He knew that his friend was just looking out for him, just like Octavia always did. But he was ready for this. After so many years of just drifting, Bellamy finally had a job he loved and a girl that he saw a future with. What could possibly be the downside of that?

* * *

Bellamy mentioned the house one evening after dinner. Harper was curled up on the couch at his side and she turned her head to stare at him. "A house? Like more than one bedroom, big kitchen and family house?"

Bellamy nodded and could only watch as Harper stewed the idea over. "I'm not saying that we buy it right now or even buy that house but...one day we could go for it."

Harper grinned and straightened up to look him straight in the eye. "Bellamy Blake, are you asking me to buy a home with you?"

Bellamy rolled his eyes but Harper was already giggling away. Her good mood made him feel lighter and they both settled back on the couch. Harper started to ramble about furniture, about how she could never really decorate because her old places were small. She didn't seem freaked out; she was actually pretty excited. It was the best reaction he could have hoped for.

After that, the next few weeks were pretty hectic-Bellamy took the detective's exam, Harper was getting busier at her job and Octavia and Jasper finally admitted that they were dating. Everyone was walking on eggshells and waiting for Bellamy to punch his sister's new boyfriend but nothing happened. Bellamy just never admitted that he actually didn't completely hate Jasper dating Octavia.

Instead, he was secretly a bundle of nerves about the exam. He really wanted this; he wanted to be the best in his career. And he knew he could do it too but it was the waiting that was eating at him. He finally got the call on his day off, just when Harper was about to come home. Bellamy tried to keep his voice neutral but the second he had hung up; he couldn't help but whoop loudly. Finally, everything was falling into place at the right time. Bellamy was scrolling for Harper's number when she came through the door.

"I did! I passed!" he exclaimed but he trailed off when he saw the tear tracks on her face and the distressed expression. He reached out to hug her but Harper seemed stiff.

"What's wrong? Just tell me and I'll fix anything," he asked carefully, trying to keep his temper in check. Harper sniffed and looked up at him with red and watery eyes.

"I'm pregnant."


	5. Chapter 5

**Meeting Max's Mom**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of this.

"Seriously Dad!"

Bellamy raised an eyebrow as Max threw the pencil down on the counter top. It bounced and clattered to sit against a science book. His son stared back at him with a furious expression.

"I can't believe you. I've sat here for the past hour and that's the story you tell me?"

"Hey it's the truth," Bellamy defended himself, "I'm not saying that you end the report when Harper was pregnant with you but that's what happened kid."

"I know that's what happened-I was there!"

"You were a baby!"

"Not that point Dad!"

The warm smell of lasagne wafted through the kitchen and Bellamy kept reminding himself to take it out of the oven. The story had nearly distracted him but burnt dinner would not be fun. Neither was an angry Max but that's what he had.

"Of all the ways you could have told the story to me, you chose that way? I know you said it wasn't simple but that's a whole new level."

"How exactly?"

Max looked exasperated and he leaned his elbows on the counter. "The story was long; you never really got to the main point and your sentence structures were kind of weak."

Bellamy looked offended and he muttered, "My sentences were amazing." He looked at Max again and the mini Blake just shook his head at his father.

"And that's not even the worst part. Dad, you kept going on and on about Raven and Roma and Harper when we met Mom in the first chapter!"

"Oh I do love to hear my boys arguing when I come home from work."

Both Bellamy and Max turned their heads to see Clarke walk in from the hallway, her doctor's bag in one hand and dessert in the other.

Max lit up and said, "Mom, tell Dad he's being an idiot."

Clarke put her bag away and walked around the counter to leave the cake down. "You're being an idiot," she said to her husband before pecking him on the lips. "It's a trait you've come to love about me," Bellamy responded.

Clarke just hummed as she took the dinner out and left it to cool. Then she sat down beside Max and glanced over at his homework. "Why exactly is your father an idiot this time?"

Max pouted and replied, "I just wanted to know how you two met but he went on this long rant about how he used to be loser and then became this amazing person and that just had to include his relationships with three girls! It was so gross."

Clarke pushed some stray hair from her son's forehead and said, "Honey, I think your Dad was just trying to explain how we made our family. We just want you to feel ok about Harper and her not being around."

Max rolled his eyes and faced both his parents. "Look I get it-we had this talk before. Harper gave birth to me but you're my Mom. That does not excuse Dad's weak storytelling!"

"Say that one more time and no dessert," Bellamy threatened but Clarke silenced them both. She dragged the full notepad towards her, covered in Max's scrawl.

"You write like your father-completely unrecognisable," she commented but then smiled. "Alright, I'll tell you how I met your Dad, while he dishes out food. Now, I think it was about one in the morning during a freezing cold January...

* * *

Clarke was so done with the night shift. She may have promised Octavia that she would close up but never again. Her fingers were shaking as she opened her car door and practically threw herself inside. She quickly turned on the heat and the radio. Soft music filled her ears and she put the car into reverse to get out of the car park of the diner. The building itself was in darkness with the street lamps outside casting an orange glow.

Clarke drove backwards, already thinking of the warm cup of tea she would have before bed. The day had just been too long. Her mother had called again and asked about work and school, which had just stressed Clarke out. All she wanted was to curl up in her own bed for a while.

Suddenly there was a screeching of tires and Clarke slammed on the brakes as she finally spotted the other car speeding its way into the car park. The cars narrowly missed each other and Clarke had to sit there for a minute to get her heartbeat back to normal. Then the anger set in.

Letting out a growl, she threw open her door and stalked over to the other car. The driver didn't see her at first-he was too busy looking into the back seat- but eventually he got out as well and looked as pissed as she was. Clarke managed to push the intrusive fact that he was very attractive away, and she frowned at him. "What the hell were you thinking, driving around at that speed?!" she yelled, "We could have hit each other!"

The man just shook his head and bit out, "Where's Octavia?!"

Clarke blinked and took another look at him. He was clearly exhausted, in a shirt and pants that were wrinkled but she could see some resemblance. "You're Bellamy-Octavia's brother."

Bellamy nodded but seemed to have no patience for her. "Where's my sister? 'Cause she's not at her apartment and she won't pick up her damn phone!"

Clarke scoffed and replied, "She said she was staying at Jasper's tonight. It's their anniversary."

Bellamy seemed ready to scream but another sound came from the car instead. The small cries from the backseat made Bellamy dart back over to the car again and open the door. Curious, Clarke walked over to look passed his shoulder. There was a small baby, all wrapped up in a car seat and balling his eyes out.

"There's a baby in the car?!" Clarke exclaimed, "Why didn't you say that before?"

"I was little busy freaking out!" Bellamy exclaimed as he calmed down the baby's cries.

Clarke grabbed her keys from her pocket and shoved them into Bellamy's free hand. "Bring him inside; I'll take a look at him."

Bellamy frowned at her but clearly something clicked his brain because he said, "You're Clarke Griffin, the doctor."

"I will be soon," she said, "Now go and get him inside the diner and warm him up."

They turned half of the lights on, leaving the rest of the diner in darkness. Bellamy put the car seat on one of the tables and lifted his son out of it. Clarke rummaged through her bag and watched them.

Octavia had mentioned something about her brother and his girlfriend Harper expecting a baby a few months ago. She had been all excited to be an aunt. But then, out of the blue, she just shut down about it and never mentioned Harper's name again. Clarke didn't want to ask in case something tragic had happened and despite Octavia's carefree attitude, the girl preferred to keep family matters in the family. But here Bellamy was, cradling a small baby boy to his chest and soothing him.

"Here," Clarke said softly, "Let me check on him for you."

Bellamy seemed reluctant to hand the baby over but eventually, Clarke was holding the small boy. She took in his dark features, all clearly from his father. His eyes blinked up at her and she smiled. "What's his name?"

"Max," Bellamy breathed out, "He's three months old and he had a rash earlier so that's why I was looking for O. I don't want to bring him to the hospital unless it's something serious but I can't be sure if it is or not-."

"Calm down, I can take care of it," she said and laid Max down on the counter. The blanket he was wrapped in cushioned his head and Clarke carefully examined him. She smiled at him the entire time, and even sang a few songs she had known as a kid. "Well you are just the cutest kid I have ever seen," she cooed, "There's nothing wrong at all-Daddy's just worried."

She turned to Bellamy who let out a breath of held air. He sat down heavily on a stool with one arm on the counter. "Are you sure he's ok? Is that rash normal? What about me hitting the brakes so fast- did that hurt him?"

Clarke picked Max up and held him against her shoulder. "He's fine. The rash is just irritation from probably a shirt he was wearing. Babies can be sensitive to that sort of thing. And you didn't stop the car that suddenly so he's more annoyed than hurt."

Bellamy nodded and Clarke practically saw the weight lift from his shoulders. "Look," he said, "I'm sorry about scaring you. I-I got nervous about Max and I just needed to see Octavia for help and I just..."

"It's ok," Clarke muttered, as Max's little head rested itself against her shoulder. Bellamy grinned at his son but when he looked at Clarke again, the exhaustion was still there. "Since you work with my sister, you probably heard all about this."

Clarke shook her head and Bellamy seemed only slightly surprised. "Well, my ex Harper and I were planning our future when she got pregnant. I was ready for a house and kids and I thought she was too. Turns out, actually having a kid freaked her out and after Max was born, she bolted. Last I heard, she's living in the city somewhere."

Clarke shook her head, suddenly angry at a woman she had only met once or twice. "I don't understand how someone could leave this little guy-he's just too cute."

"Yah, he gets his looks from his father," Bellamy quipped.

Clarke laughed softy but she saw the Max was falling asleep. She carefully placed him back in the car seat and tucked the blanket around him. "Keep an eye on him for the night but he will be fine Bellamy."

"Well despite being sleep deprived I don't think I could shut my eyes tonight anyway," he said and he ran a hand though his hair.

Clarke bit her lip and titled her head towards the counter. "I could make us some coffee? There is no point in moving him into the cold again just yet."

Bellamy smiled slowly, in a way that made her insides flutter. Not butterflies through-obviously, that would be physically impossible.

"Coffee sounds amazing right now," Bellamy finally answered. Clarke gave him a small nod and checked on Max one more time before going to turn on the coffee maker.

* * *

"And that's how I met your Dad."

Max finished writing his report with a final flourish of his pencil and then turned back to Clarke. "And then you guys started dating."

Bellamy and Clarke glanced at each other with sly grins and Clarke quickly answered, "Well, it actually took us a little more time. We fought a lot but then learned all we had in common. Truth is kid, I always called round to his place to see you and check up on how you were doing."

Bellamy snorted and cut up the lasagne onto the plates. "So really, she was your mom before she was my girlfriend."

Max smiled and nodded in understanding. "So Dad was like a buy one get one free prize?"

"Yah," Clarke exclaimed, "He was like a side dish."

"I do not approve of being called a side dish in my own home," Bellamy protested.

Max startled suddenly and pointed his finger at Bellamy. "Wait! You said that Mom was one of the three women! You lied."

"I did not. I said there were 'at least three girls' and that Clarke was one of them. At least means there can be more."

Max huffed and just muttered, "That was totally misleading."

"What's not misleading is the smell from dinner and the noises my stomach is making," Clarke said as she took a plate, "Put your homework away for now and eat dinner."

Dinner was consumed, the plates were cleaned and Max was sent to get dressed for bed. Bellamy walked into his room to say goodnight and absentmindedly picked up some scattered clothes from the floor.

"You're messier than your Mom and that's saying something," he muttered but there was no response from Max. The kid was picking at his nails with the blankets tucked over him. Bellamy frowned and sat down on the side of the bed.

"What's bothering you? I know my storytelling wasn't perfect but-."

"What did you mean by Harper being the best?"

Bellamy blinked at his son's interruption but Max continued on. "I mean, Mom's clearly the coolest person ever, Aunt Raven is made of awesome and even Roma sounded nice. Why was Harper the best one?"

Bellamy smiled softly and tucked the blankets around Max securely. "Kid, first of all, your Mom is the best but just don't tell her I said that. But Harper was the best out of my ex girlfriends for a very simple reason. She gave me you. Despite all her faults, I will always be grateful to her for that."

Max bit his lip and fell silent. Then Bellamy heard him mutter, "I'm sorry I said your storytelling was weak."

Bellamy snorted and ruffled his son's hair. "I know buddy, its ok. But it is time for bed."

"Night Dad; love you," Max said as Bellamy got to leave.

"Night kid; love you too."

Just as Bellamy was about to shut the door, Max yelled, "NIGHT MOM-LOVE YOU!"

"Don't yell in the house," came Clarke's quieter response, "Love you too."

Bellamy sighed and rolled his eyes before shutting the door. He tossed Max's clothes in the hamper, stretched his tiered muscles slightly and walked down the hall into the living room. Clarke was sitting on the couch with her legs drawn up beside her. Bellamy slid down to sit against the arm rest and Clarke tucked herself against his side with ease. He kissed the top of her head and then looked over to see her reading a sheet of paper.

"Is that Max's report?" he asked and Clarke nodded. "Yah, I made him quickly type it up so that the teacher can actually read it."

The TV was on but the sound was down to let Max sleep. He didn't really want to watch anything so he looked back at his wife again. She turned around to face him and placed the sheet down on the coffee table. "We've got a really smart kid," she muttered, "Not just because of his academic scores either."

Bellamy grinned at the report but shook his head as well. "I tried to tell him the full story but he got so impatient. Raven, Roma and Harper were actually important for how we met."

Clarke pondered that for a moment and then frowned at him. "Yes, I read about the romantic lessons you learned. Raven taught you to go for girls who liked you from the beginning and Roma taught you to not be afraid of committed relationships. Correct?"

Bellamy recognised the annoyance in her tone and nodded carefully.

"Well, I didn't like you at all in the beginning and you said-out loud- that getting in a committed relationship with me was terrifying!"

"Yah, because I loved you so much and I knew it would be a big deal! Why do you always forget that part?" Bellamy huffed.

Clarke burst into laughter and let her head fall against his chest. "Whatever, the point is that you rambled on for too long and our son got irritated with you," she finally said, "I wonder where he got his impatience from?"

Bellamy just kissed her soundly on the mouth and pulled her towards him. Clarke settled against his side and held his face in her hands. "All I'm saying is that we need to cut down the story for the next kid who wants to know how Mom and Dad met."

"Oh, so you want a next one?" Bellamy mumbled against her lips but Clarke just hummed. Suddenly she pulled away from him with a serious expression.

"Wait, we're totally censoring his paper before he hands it in to the teacher right?"

"Oh, totally."

**Of course he was going to end up with Clarke! Hope you all enjoyed.**


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